🔧 BUILD Shawns 1971 Impala Donk

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BOOST TIME!!!!

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Well boys and girls my new project is finally home. Ive always had a hard on for the Donks (71-76 Caprice or Impala) and always told myself since 1994 that I was eventually going to build one. My buddy mike at the time had a 74 Caprice Vert with 30's and Vouges (google them if you dont know what they are) basically 30 spoke cragars and vouge tires. Its a classic old school gangster look. Over the years he built a few more and sold them and always offered them to me first and I declined because of my love of G Body's as well. When I bought the Regal a couple years ago, I really looked hard at the Donks and believe it or not they were going for half of what they are going for now. Even last summer they coulda been had for about a 1/3rd less maybe a little less for what they are going for now. I was set on a 71 or a 75 for 2 reasons. 71 is the most sought after and fetches the most money as its known as the ACE. 75 because it was the year I was born, and thought that would be pretty cool. Didnt care if it was a HT or Vert, kinda preferred that HT as I dont think Chgo weather is weather for Verts. Pay a extra $10k for a Vert, no thanks.

So when my buddy and I made a deal for the Regal months ago and I knew he was serious. I got serious in my search for a donk. As most of you know I went to Miami for 4 days last month. Had a shit load of them lined up to look at and found either garbage or guys that wouldnt move off what I thought was too high of a price. Few that I thought were too high, have actually sold since then, so I'm thinking price wasnt too high. While in Miami I met this dude Josh and him and I clicked and became friends. Super cool white boy who is in to donks as well, not generally something you see white boys building. He told me he would keep his eyes and ears open and if close enough would do the leg work for me. But told me if he found something I would have to hi-tail my ass down there asap as when they are priced right they sell in hours. Just so happened we decided to go down to Orlando this weekend because we found $61 RT airfare and the biggest donk/g body show just was going on. Figured I might be able to buy something there. Called Josh to tell him we were coming down and if he planned on taking his car to Orlando. He said he might know of a 71 going up for sale with a motivated buyer. I said well fuck let me know asap.

Touched down in Orlando Friday night and had to be up early Saturday to cruise to Ft Lauderdale to see this 71. Pull up to this gated community with $1m+ townhomes and get buzzed in by security. Pull up to the house and she was sitting in driveway and looked as clean as the pics I was sent. Took it for a ride, BSing with Josh, my buddy Ralphy and the owner of the car. Talking about everything from sports to woman to cars. Come to find out this rich fuck is a collector and has 2 other 71's besides the one I bought, and just purchased another on top of 6-7 other cars he has. I guess the Wife has a rule, every time he gets a new one something has to go lol. While BSing I kinda feel him out and get the idea he doesnt want this car going to a black guy who is going to ruin it with big wheels and a LS swap lol. So I played my white privilege card with him. He was asking $25k and very easily had him down to $20k. My final offer was $17.5k and he said he would sleep on it. Told him if he agreed in the morning then it was his job to get it to Orlando before Sunday night. He woke me up about 8am saying the car was mine and was on the way to Orlando. He showed up, we exchanged cash and paperwork, took it off the trailer and parked it at my Airbnb. We were going out for the day/night, so I pulled the coil so the fucker wouldnt start in case someone wanted to steal it lol. Also backed it in so a tow truck would have a hard time stealing it as well.

Talked to a few of the Chgo guys down there for the show and got lucky as one of the haulers had room for me to get her home. Car was dropped off in Midlothian today at $how and Go Customz and turns out Playboy a friend of mine just opened that shop up. Does nothing but suspension and motor work. Talked pricing about shortening my rear end, coilovers all the way around, new axels and adjustable control arms to squat this car. Basically a "California Lean". Front end will sit at stock height with a 26" rim and the rear end will squat 3-4" lower. I have some 26" Billets but probably going to put new barrels on the rear rims. Right now they are a 5.5" lip and I want that 7" lip on the rear, hence the reason for shortening the rear end. Most of you think of Donk and think of those 71-76 sitting on fucking 4x4 suspensions with 30" wheels. Yes those are donks as well, but not the look I'm shooting for.

Jimy Bilmo

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I know I'm probably jinxing myself by bringing this up before I have them in hand. All I have is a deal via text lol.
If it goes thru I scored a set of LS3 heads done by Borowski, with BTR platinum springs and titanium retainers and the heads have 0 miles on them.
I was going to use the head adapters for my LSA to make my current heads work. But this is a deal that kinda fell in my lap earlier today.
And then BOOOOOOOST
 

Jon01

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I know I'm probably jinxing myself by bringing this up before I have them in hand. All I have is a deal via text lol.
If it goes thru I scored a set of LS3 heads done by Borowski, with BTR platinum springs and titanium retainers and the heads have 0 miles on them.
I was going to use the head adapters for my LSA to make my current heads work. But this is a deal that kinda fell in my lap earlier today.
Same combo I have in my C10 - LQ4+LSA heads. Works good. Truck makes ~600 on 8#/91. You're gonna love that thing with the blower on it.
 

Shawn1112

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Same combo I have in my C10 - LQ4+LSA heads. Works good. Truck makes ~600 on 8#/91. You're gonna love that thing with the blower on it.
If I can get 600 to the wheels on 93 at 8lbs I’d be pretty happy. I’m having 2nd thoughts on going corn. Car sits over the winter and don’t want that corn sitting. Someone told me get it close to empty on corn, add 2 gallons of 93. Drive around the block before winter storage, and it will be fine. I still have to investigate that to see if I’d have issues. I’ve decided against flex, it’s either pump gas or corn.
 

greasy

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If I can get 600 to the wheels on 93 at 8lbs I’d be pretty happy. I’m having 2nd thoughts on going corn. Car sits over the winter and don’t want that corn sitting. Someone told me get it close to empty on corn, add 2 gallons of 93. Drive around the block before winter storage, and it will be fine. I still have to investigate that to see if I’d have issues. I’ve decided against flex, it’s either pump gas or corn.

Even though I am flex I still try to run the car almost completely out of corn, then switch to 93, and then run a tank or 2 of that all of the way through before storing. It has worked well this far.
 

Shawn1112

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Flex is so easy and very convenient. Why would you not do flex? It’s the best of both worlds and you are never searching or hoping you run across a good E station while out for longer cruising.
I originally wanted to go flex, but I was told with the Holley you still have to swap tunes when running one or the other.
Heard that from 2 different people. Maybe I got to dig deeper into this.
 

IZZy

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I’m honestly not sure that storing the car on corn is as big a problem as people make it out to be, as long as you either fill up the tank or you empty it out completely.

Usually when people run into issues is when they leave the tank half full and there is room in the tank for moisture to get in.

When I bought my car it had sat for 3 years but the previous owner topped it off before storing it, all I did was get rid of the old gas, replaced the filter element and the car fired right up no problem, this winter I plan on topping it off and forgetting about it.
 
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IceCreamAssassin

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I originally wanted to go flex, but I was told with the Holley you still have to swap tunes when running one or the other.
Heard that from 2 different people. Maybe I got to dig deeper into this.
After a quick google search according to their own instructions you can use a flex fuel sensor and it will adjust automatically.
 

Bob Kazamakis

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Five-0

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This Holley flex fuel talk is making me want to throw it on my soon to be out of budget stock bottom end SBF build. I mean why not right
 

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